Portal Application Dependency Detection and Auto-Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users and administrators face challenges in determining and managing application dependencies, particularly for secure information access, as they lack tools to efficiently communicate the need for tunnel applications like VPNs, leading to reduced productivity and increased administrative burdens.
Innovation Solution
A portal application that determines application dependencies by requesting a listing of available applications from a management server, displays required dependencies, and assists users in installing and initializing necessary applications, such as VMWARE TUNNEL, through a seamless setup process within a portal-application-specific UI.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If administrators manually contact users to provide tunnel application information, then users can receive detailed dependency information, but administrators lose valuable time and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically detecting application dependencies and presenting them to users through the portal. The portal application automatically requests dependency information from the management server and displays it without requiring administrator intervention, allowing users to see what applications they need and their dependencies autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The management server pre-stores dependency information in profiles before users need it. When a user accesses the portal, the dependency information is already prepared and can be immediately retrieved and displayed, eliminating the need for administrators to manually gather and provide this information in real-time.
2Ease of operation
If users manually download and set up tunnel applications without guidance, then users have freedom in installation, but many users do not effectively use the full suite of EMM tools
Solution Approach 1:
The portal provides feedback to users by displaying dependency information next to application icons, showing users what applications they need and why. This feedback mechanism guides users through the installation process by clearly indicating which applications require tunnel applications, improving both ease of operation and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-identifying and displaying dependency information before users attempt to install applications. The portal shows users ahead of time which applications require tunnel applications, allowing users to prepare for installation in advance rather than discovering dependencies during the installation process.
3Loss of information
If the portal displays all application attributes including dependencies, then users have complete information, but the interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The portal segments information by displaying dependency information as separate visual elements next to application icons rather than integrating it into a complex data structure. Each application entry can be independently displayed with its dependency information, allowing users to see complete information while maintaining a simple, intuitive interface structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The portal applies local quality by displaying dependency information only where relevant - next to or below specific application icons that have dependencies. Not all applications require the same level of detail, so the interface adapts its complexity locally based on whether each specific application has dependencies, rather than uniformly increasing complexity for all applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A portal application can receive a listing of available applications in response to a request sent to a management server. The listing can include a plurality of attributes for each available application, such as the requirements for using the features of each application or a dependency upon another application. Based on the plurality of attributes received, the portal application can determine that a first application requires installation of a second application in order for the first application to provide additional functionality. The portal application can display icons corresponding to the available applications and display one or more UI elements, indicating that the first application requires installation of the second application. The portal application can also push the second application to the device and assist in installing and initializing the second application on the device.